Three Different Names
by Ashy4
Summary: One shot. Mungojerrie ponders about his thrid name. Rated for some violence and character death. Might be a tad rushed.


They say that when you're dying, before you take your last breath, your third name is revealed to you... I don't really believe that. Why would you have to wait all that time, after meditating on it, to finally know what it is? I can hear her calling to me... But she doesn't use 'Jakey', my human's name for me, or the name I'm mostly known by, Mungojerrie. She's using a different name. She calls me softly; whispering to me so softly I can't quite make out exactly what she's saying. I try to concentrate harder on the voice. It gets a little louder but I still can't make it out. I concentrate as hard as I can. I can almost hear it. It's almost clear to me now. It's... It's...

"Jerrie."

So close...

"Jerrie," My sister's voice repeated. Every time I come close to figuring my third name out, somehow she manages to come in, interrupts and breaks my concentration. Don't get me wrong I love my sister. She's always been there for me. It's just that for once I'd like her to interrupt me after I've figured it out. But of course, that wouldn't be my sister if that happened.

"Yes, Tea?" I open my eyes looking up at the figure standing in the opening of the box we shared in the Junkyard while away from our human's home. She comes in a little further and sits by my side.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No, not anymore," I shake my head.

"Oh," She looks away sheepishly. "Sorry, Jerrie."

I give her, a gentle nuzzle, "Don't worry about it. I'll get it eventually. What's going on?"

"Well... We've been away from home for a few days now. Do you think it's time we headed back home?"

"I guess it was about time we got back home again. Our humans might be getting worried."

I stretched my paws out, lifting myself up and giving my fur a shake. Rumpelteazer gets up as well and follows me out of the den.

It was a gorgeous day outside. The sun was shining bright, the warm rays mingled with the light cool breeze, making it the perfect day. It would probably be one of the last ones, with the cold months coming. Then the snow will start to fall and it would be less than admirable to be out running the streets.

Maybe that was why Rumpelteazer wanted to go home. When it got colder, we wouldn't be too far from home and we would be safe and warm.

We made our way down the pile of junk the box rested on and made our way towards the front gate. We both stopped when a voice called ot to us from behind. I turned around to face Munkustrap as he hurried towards us.

"Are the two of you returning home?"

Something in the tone of his voice didn't seem right.

"We are," I nodded. "We've been gone for a while and our humans might be getting worried. Why? Is there something wrong?"

"There's been an increase of pollicle activity in the surrounding areas. No one has been hurt just yet but we are taking precautions to see that things stay that way. If it is necessary that you both return home, I insist that you have an escort bring you home incase the pollicles start to cause trouble."

"We'll be fine, Munkustrap," My sister assured him. "Jerrie can handle a few pollicles. We won't need an escort."

Munkustrap still didn't seem convinced, "It is very dangerous out on the streets. I don't want anybody getting hurt."

"Don't worry about us," I shook my head, "We've dealt with pollicles plenty of times before. Trust us, we'll be fine."

It took us a lot more convincing him before he reluctantly let us go without some sort of escort. He seemed more worried than usual. Normally it would be a warning of what was going on and a 'I want you to be careful going home'. This must be something much worse than a few pollicles and pugs. But we really do have to get home. We can take care of ourselves. We were the fastest runners in the tribe. We got out of everything.

We walked beside each other for a few blocks, laughing and talking as we normally do. We took our usual root down the streets of London to get home. We quieted down a bit after a bit, giving me sometime to ponder what Munkustrap had said... My thoughts linger on it for a minute or two before being drawn back to my third name. I don't really pay attention to where I'm going - having traveled the route so many times before that I don't notice that we had turned into the alley we used as a shortcut.

Is a cat normally so bothered that they can't figure out their third name like I am? It's said that no human research can discover it... But any human could have a better idea about my name than I do myself. I am trying but every time I get close, something draws me back. I don't see what the big deal about a third name is. Two is always enough, but... I just can't stop thinking about this third name, and it's driving me mad that I can't figure it out.

"Jerrie."

Rumpelteazer once again, breaks my thoughts. I just notice that she stopped walking, and that we were halfway into the alley. She seemed tense. Her fur was raised; her eyes were wide as she sniffed the air. She was scared about something. I looked around trying to see what might be frightening her.

"Tea, what's wrong?"

"Something's not right, Jerrie. Maybe we should go back to the Junkyard. I don't want to go this way..."

She was right. Something wasn't right about this alley. I nodded to her and we turned to leave. We both froze when two large wolfdogs blocked our way out. They growled, advancing towards us.

My first impulse is to grab my sister and start running, and I take my chance. The dogs are barking as they chase us, hot on our tails. I run as fast as I can, Rumpelteazer a little further ahead of me. We're almost out of the alley. I look behind me when one of the dogs pounces at me, causing me to trip and fall, sliding on the ground. I try to fight back as the dogs tear at me with their claws and teeth like a chew toy. I hear Rumpelteazer screaming for me as one of the dogs turns to her.

There's a snapping sound and a flash of blue light that frightens both dogs to run away leaving me soaked in a puddle of my own crimson blood. Two other cats, ones that I know all too well rush up to me along with my sister. Munkustrap must not have trusted us when we tried to convince him we'd be fine, and had enlisted Mistoffelees to help him follow us. He was right.

"Jerrie... Oh Bast, Jerrie," My sister sobs as she takes my paw in hers, squeezing it tight. "Hang on, Jerrie. We're going to get you some help. You'll be all right, please try to hang on. Don't go, Jerrie. Don't go!"

Her voice becomes muffled to me as I begin to see a white light. I hear someone calling to me, but it's not Rumpelteazer. She's not using Mungojerrie, or Jakey. She's using a different name. It gets louder from a soft whisper becoming clearer, much clearer than I had ever heard it, that I know it now. I smile now, having reached my goal in life. I know my third name now...

It's... It's...


End file.
